The present invention relates to apparatus for the adjustment of the position of a vehicle seat having adjustable parts for controlling the seat position, and specifically to an adjustable vehicle seat.
In vehicles, particulary in automobiles, it is common to install adjustable seats to permit the user to adjust the seat position to various positions. Generally, the seats are adjustable at least in a longitudinal direction and the inclination of the back rest is adjustable. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the countour of the seat upholstery could be adjustable, for example, to accomplish a proper support of the user's spine in the region of the lumbar vertebrae. The head rest is, in many cases, adjustable as well, in height and/or in its angular position. In addition, there are adjustment possibilities for the steering wheel, for example, its extension and inclination, as well as adjustments for the foot pedals. Premature fatigue of the user of the vehicle can be avoided only if the user is seated in a proper position and, insofar as concerns the driver, he must be enabled to safely reach all vehicle controls.
Apart from the fact that the vehicle user will usually not be aware of the optimal seat position, which, moreover, is different for varying driving conditions, for instance, city driving and long distance driving, it will be particularly unlikely that he will find the optimal position when he is presented with a wide variety of adjustment possibilities. In addition, optimal positioning is made more difficult, since the individual adjustment positions are influenced by each other. The consequence is that the seat position for many vehicle users is far removed from the optimum. This is further underscored by the fact that many vehicles are driven alternately by different persons and, therefore, many users will not undertake the effort to determine the correct seat position for themselves.